1890-1914
A Changing Society
Grade 8 History - Unit 2
Grade 8 History - Unit 2
Experiences Comparison: pick a group or community below and compare their experiences at the turn of the 20th century with those facing Canadians today:
the urban poor
the unemployed workers
farmers
recent immigrants
different Indigenous communities
Québécois
African Canadians
Chinese Canadians
South Asian Canadians
Jewish Canadians
women
children
the elderly
Indigenous Challenges Comparison: describe a challenge Indigenous communities faced at the turn of the 20th century from the list below...
disruption of families, including loss of parental control and responsibility, as rights of Indigenous parents were disregarded when their children were removed and placed in residential schools
loss of knowledge of language and traditional culture
loss of traditional lands with increasing settlement by non-Indigenous Canadians
loss of decision-making power to federal Indian agents, including the denial of personal rights and freedom under the pass system
...and explain how that challenge continues to affect Indigenous communities today:
ongoing issues around cultural assimilation and loss of identity
isolation from mainstream society and/or home communities
mental and physical health issues
the ongoing impact of the residential school system on the development of parenting skills and family/community bonding
the continuing need to address the legacy of abuse from the residential school system
struggles for recognition of treaty rights
efforts to address sexism in the Indian Act
Non-Indigenous Challenges Comparison: describe a challenge Indigenous communities faced at the turn of the 20th century from the list below and compare it with those facing present-day Canadians.
increasing industrialization
restrictions on immigration of some ethnic groups
lack of political rights for women
working conditions in sweatshops
racism and other forms of prejudice
Describe an action taken by various individuals, groups, and communities to improve their lives at the turn of the 20th century listed below and compare it to those taken by similar groups today.
different Indigenous and ethnic/racial communities
religious groups
immigrants from different parts of the world
people in different regions of Canada
francophones
women
workers
Pick a situation from the list below, and devise high-level inquiry questions (using the bottom right hand corner of the Question Matrix) that will guide your inquiry into your situation:
the Boer War
efforts to protect and educate children
increases in the Chinese head tax
movements for women’s suffrage
heightened rivalries in Europe
Continuing with the same situation you picked in the task above, gather and organize information about the differing perspectives on your situation using primary sources...
government documents and records
treaties
advertisements
letters
newspaper reports and editorials
archaeological evidence
Indigenous oral histories
paintings, photographs, or posters from the time
petitions
... and secondary sources:
historical fiction
textbooks
reference books
museum exhibits
documentaries
online videos
Critically analyze the sources you used in the task above to determine if they are credible and relevant to your investigation (by considering the perspective, bias, accuracy, authenticity, purpose, and/or context of the source AND the values and/or expertise of its author).
Continuing with the same situation you have been working with for the last several tasks, create a map showing the spatial boundaries of your situation (consider using Google My Maps). For example:
location of key events in the Klondike gold rush
historical map to determine the growth of cities in this period
interactive map that shows the growth of residential schools in Canada
flow map to show the origins of immigrants to Canada and the regions in which they settled
Continuing with the same situation you have been working with for the last several tasks, interpret and analyze information and evidence relevant to your investigation. For example:
use organizers to compare perspectives in the information you have gathered on reciprocity with the United States
analyse political cartoons for views on women and women’s roles
interpret graphs on quality of life indicators such as infant mortality to understand perspectives of social reformers and the urban poor
Continuing with the same situation you have been working with for the last several tasks, evaluate evidence and draw conclusions about the differing perspectives on your situation.
Continuing with the same situation you have been working with for the last several tasks, communicate the results of your inquiry using appropriate vocabulary (Klondike, immigrant, industrialization, unions, strikes, sweatshops, reciprocity, suffragist, compromise, alliance) in an appropriate format. For example:
a photo essay on the lives of children from different regions and/or representing different groups in Canada
a speech written in the voice of a labour activist or suffragist and a response from an opponent
a poem written from the perspective of a passenger on the Komagata Maru
a dramatic monologue from the perspective of a Haida chief or child giving reasons why the potlatch ban should be repealed
a dance representing aspects of the impact of colonization on Indigenous peoples
Pick one of the events below, and identify factors that led to the event AND describe the historical significance of that event to various individuals, groups, and/or communities:
the status of “Indians” as wards of the state
the role of Indian agents in regulating the lives of people on reserves
laws forbidding Indigenous ceremonies, including the potlatch and powwows
expropriation of land from reserves for public works, roads, and railways
an increase in the number of residential schools for First Nations and Métis children
issuance of Métis scrip in conjunction with Treaties 8 and 10
Pick one of the events below, and identify factors that led to the event AND describe the historical significance of that event to various individuals, groups, and/or communities:
the Boer War
the growth of the women’s suffrage movement
the founding of the Children’s Aid Society
the immigration of British Home Children to Canada
the expansion of homesteading in the West
the growth of labour unions
Pick one of the political or legal changes below and explain its impact on various individuals, groups, and/or communities:
Alberta and Saskatchewan becoming provinces
the response to the Manitoba Schools Question
European alliances and the conflict in South Africa and/or the threat of conflict in Europe
the Truancy Act, 1891
Ottawa’s establishment of per student funding of residential schools in 1891
the abolishment of French as an official language in the Northwest Territories in 1892
increases in the Chinese head tax
Pick one of the social and/or economic changes below and explain its impact on various individuals, groups, and/or communities:
changes in the home countries of immigrants to Canada
the Immigration Act of 1910
technological changes
increasing urbanization
the development of mining in Ontario, Nova Scotia, and British Columbia
reciprocity
Describe one of the significant instances of cooperation and conflict below:
increasing resistance among Indigenous families to residential schools
conflicts between English and French Canadians over issues such as the Boer War and the Naval Service Act
conflict between European and non-European immigrants
strikes by coal miners in Nova Scotia and British Columbia
cooperation of different groups under the social gospel umbrella
cooperation between immigrants in new ethnic enclaves
Create your own Heritage Moment - pick one of the following individuals or groups and explain their contribution to Canadian heritage and/or identity:
Pauline Johnson (Tekahionwake)
Fred Loft (Onondeyoh)
Tom Longboat (Cogwagee)
L. M. Montgomery (with Uxbridge connections!)
Oronhyatekha (Peter Martin)
various immigrant groups